A song about growing up in a 'utopian community' in Denmark (Christiania) The lyrics are by the singer himself, under his full name, Lukas Graham Forchhammer – an indication of his cross-national heritage. It's a highly emotive song. The singer recalls his childhood, his hopes, his dreams –.
>Waterson:Carthy >Songs >New Year Carol / Residue
- 7 Years by Lukas Graham Once I was seven years old. My mama told me, 'Go make yourself some friends, or you'll be lonely.' Once I was seven years old. It was a big, big world, but we thought we were bigger. Pushing each other to the limits, we were learning quicker. By eleven, smoking herb and drinking burning liquor1.
- By Staff Writer Last Updated Apr 7, 2020 1:32:02 PM ET jenjen42/E+/Getty Images It is believed that breaking a mirror would cause seven years of bad luck because the soul of the person who broke the mirror would be trapped inside.
[trad. arr. Waterson:Carthy]
The New Year Carol was included by Walter de la Mare in hisanthology of poems for children, Tom Tiddler's Ground (1931).In 1936, Benjamin Britten composed a tune for it.The 'levy dew' in the chorus may be a corruption ofeither Old English levedy ('lady') orFrench Levez à Dieu ('Raise to God'), used for theelevation of the host at communion. The latter also explains the water andthe wine in the following words. The 'seven bright gold wires'might be the strings of a golden harp.
Waverly Fitzgerald has another explanation inSchool of the Seasons: New Year's Carols: Kindle k4i.
Trefor Owen[Welsh Folk Customs, St. Fagans, 1974]describes the context for this song in Wales. Very early onNew Year's Day about three or four o'clock in the morning, groups of boys cameround to the houses in the neighborhood, carrying a vessel of cold springwater, freshly drawn, and twigs of box, holly, myrtle, rosemary or otherevergreens. They sprinkled the hands and face of anyone they met for a copperor two. In every house, each room was sprinkled with New Year's water and theinmates, who were often still in bed, wished a Happy New Year. For thisservice and wish they were also gifted with coins. The doors of those houseswhich were closed to them were sprinkled with the water.The verse was sung during the sprinkling.
In certain parts of Wales this custom is called dwr newy(literally, new water). The exact meaning of the phrase, 'levy dew'is unknown, although there have been attempts to trace it tollef I Dduw (Welsh for 'cry of God').This seems to be an imposition of aChristian interpretation on a much older custom. Although the fair maid is nowequated with the Virgin, Owen thinks it likely that this custom derives from'an early well-cult made acceptable to medieval Christianity by itsassociation with the Virgin and perpetuated both by the desire to wish one'sneighbor well at the beginning of a new year and by the small monetary paymentinvolved.'
In 2006, Waterson:Carthy recorded the New Year Carol fortheir albumHoly Heathens and the Old Green Man.Martin Carthy commented in the album's sleeve notes:
We all had a hand in the 'B' music to the New Year carolResiduewhich opens this album: we also made extra verses for the North and Southgates to go with the East and West gates already there and to have more tosing. Norma cannot remember who first handed her the song for the Watersonsto sing but, because the letter accompanying the words is signed'from your favourite guitarist', wonders whether it was an oldfamily friend from the East Riding called Bert Hodgeson. None of us canfigure out the possible significance of the 'Residue sing Residue'chorus and neither could Bert—or whoever it was—but that was, he said,what was sung to him. (If it wasn't Bert, and the person who did the deed isreading this, then please reveal yourself.)
These things are driven, one way or another, by passion and two of itsfaces are on show.Residuecan be seen as representative of one which drives ritual; where peopleperform old ceremonies simply because it is time to do so. These can be seento be quite private moments for a community which, although there is a linewhich the outsider may not cross, the wider world is allowed to view andperhaps to share. The community may struggle to supply a meaning for aparticular ceremony or make any sense at all of the routine of the thing butthat does not matter. What matters is the moment: the reason is the moment.In the field of sacred music where indeed it is often at its most intense,nowhere is this passion seen to soar higher, or felt to flow more deeplythan in the Baptist hymns of Sankey where Liza found the beautifulGlorylandwhich closes this CD.
Lyrics
New Year Carol from Tom Tiddler's Ground, ed.Walter de la Mare
Here we bring new water from the well so clear,
For to worship God with, this happy New Year.
Chorus (after each verse):
Sing levy-dew, sing levy-dew, the water and the wine,
The seven bright gold wires and the bugles that do shine.
Sing reign of Fair Maid, with gold upon her toe;
Open you the West Door and turn the Old Year go.
Sing reign of Fair Maid, with gold upon her chin;
Open you the East Door and let the New Year in.
Waterson:Carthy sing Residue
Chorus (twice after each verse):
Residue sing Residue, the water and the wine,
Seven bright gold wires and the trumpets doth shine.
Here comes the maiden with gold on her toe;
Open the West gate and let the Old Year go.
Here comes the maiden with gold on her shoe;
Open the South gate and let the New Year through.
Here comes the maiden with gold on her chin;
Open the East gate and let the New Year in.
Here comes the maiden with gold in her eye;
Open the North gate and let the Old Year by.
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Writers & Publishers
from the album Lukas Graham ·Copyright: Writer(s): David Labrel, Stefan Forrest, Christopher Brown, Morten Ristorp Jensen, Lukas Forchhammer, Morten Pilegaard Lyrics Terms of Use
Sing reign of Fair Maid, with gold upon her chin;
Open you the East Door and let the New Year in.
Waterson:Carthy sing Residue
Chorus (twice after each verse):
Residue sing Residue, the water and the wine,
Seven bright gold wires and the trumpets doth shine.
Here comes the maiden with gold on her toe;
Open the West gate and let the Old Year go.
Here comes the maiden with gold on her shoe;
Open the South gate and let the New Year through.
Here comes the maiden with gold on her chin;
Open the East gate and let the New Year in.
Here comes the maiden with gold in her eye;
Open the North gate and let the Old Year by.
Popular Right Now
Writers & Publishers
from the album Lukas Graham ·Copyright: Writer(s): David Labrel, Stefan Forrest, Christopher Brown, Morten Ristorp Jensen, Lukas Forchhammer, Morten Pilegaard Lyrics Terms of Use
7 Year Ache Lyrics Meaning
Once I was seven years old, my mama told me
Go make yourself some friends or you'll be lonely.
Once I was seven years old.
It was a big big world, but we thought we were bigger.
Pushing each other to the limits, we were learning quicker.
By eleven smoking herb and drinking burning liquor
Never rich so we were out to make that steady figure
Once I was eleven years old, my daddy told me
Go get yourself a wife or you'll be lonely.
Once I was eleven years old.
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7 Years Analysis
I always had that dream like my daddy before me
So I started writing songs, I started writing stories
Something about the glory, just always seemed to bore me
Cause only those I really love will ever really know me
Once I was twenty years old, my story got told
Before the morning sun, when life was lonely.
Once I was twenty years old.
I only see my goals, I don't believe in failure.
Cause I know the smallest voices, they can make it major.
I got my boys with me atleast those in favor
And if we don't meet before I leave, I hope I'll see you later.
Once I was 20 years old, my story got told
I was writing about everything, I saw before me
Once I was 20 years old.
Soon we'll be 30 years old, our songs have been sold
We've traveled around the world and we're still roaming.
Soon we'll be 30 years old.
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I'm still learning about life
My woman brought children for me
So I can sing them all my songs
And I can tell them stories
most of my boys are with me
Some are still out seeking glory
And some I had to leave behind
My brother I'm still sorry
Soon I'll be 60 years old, my daddy got 61
Remember life and then your life becomes a better one
I made the man so happy when I wrote a letter once
I hope my children come and visit, once or twice a month
Soon I'll be 60 years old, will I think the world is cold
Or will I have a lot of children who can bore me
Soon I'll be 60 years old
Soon I'll be 60 years old, will I think the world is cold
Or will I have a lot of children who can bore me
Soon I'll be 60 years old
Once I was seven years old, my mama told me
Go make yourself some friends or you'll be lonely
Once I was seven years old
Once I was seven years old
